Don't Let Go
by PuffPower
Summary: It's been two years since Fred was born, and the happy Weasley couple is pregnant again. Oh, Merlin, here we go again!
1. Happy Birthday, Fred!

**A/N: I proudly present chapter 1 of Don't Let Go, a sequel to So Close, Yet So Far. :)**

**Summary: Two years after Fred's birth, Angelina discovers she's expecting again.**

**Date: October 16, 2010**

**Chapter 1: Happy Birthday, Fred!**

'Fred, come here!' Fred toddled around the room, giggling madly. 'Fred, I swear, if you don't come here right now, we're not going to the Burrow!' Fred stopped laughing abruptly and grabbed his mother's trouser leg. 'Good,' Angelina said, picking up her son and dressing him in a yellow shirt and overalls. When he had run off again, Angelina sighed and leaned against the wall.

Fred was two years old now, and he was quite a handful. He seemed to be living up to his namesake, as he managed to create chaos at every turn. Even on his second birthday, he never seemed to stop being mischievous.

Right on cue, Angelina heard a crash. She ran out of the room to see Fred wailing loudly in the middle of a pile of rubbish, which undoubtedly had fallen from the bookshelf. 'Oh, Freddie!' She scooped him up and waved her wand to clean up the mess. Everything flew back to its original place, but Fred continued to cry. 'Hush,' Angelina whispered gently, rocking him. The sobs subsided, and soon enough Fred was giggling and racing around again.

'Ange?' She heard the door close, and George came into view.

'Oh, thank the lord,' Angelina muttered. 'Your son,' she said, pointing her finger at the culprit, who at the moment was trying to chew Angelina's toe, 'has been driving me mad all day.'

'Has he?' George said, picking up the baby and tossing him in the air, much to Fred's delight. 'Oh, you're such a bad boy!' he cried teasingly. 'We'll have to send you to Azkaban!'

'George, he just ate - '

'Ack!'

'You'd think you'd have learned by now,' Angelina snickered, taking the baby back. 'You did that the day he was born, remember?'

'Yeah, well, I was a bit preoccupied that day to remember that,' George muttered, cleaning himself off. 'Is the party still on?'

'Yes,' Angelina sighed. 'Molly said to come over around five. Can you believe little Freddie's already two?'

'He's a big boy, aren't you, Fred?' George said, ruffling his son's hair.

'Yes!' Fred replied eagerly. He started to run around again, yelling, 'Burrow! Burrow!'

'In a little while, Freddie,' his mother replied.

'No! Now!'

'We'll be there before you know it,' George assured him. Satisfied, Fred flopped onto his back and squealed happily. George rolled his eyes and kissed his wife. 'How are you?' he asked.

'Exhausted,' she replied, sounding it. 'This little one keeps me running around all day,' she added, gesturing to Fred, who was now attempting to climb onto the table by the couch. 'No, Fred, don't do that!'

It was too late. The lamp fell to the floor with a resounding crash, making both George and Angelina flinch. Fred giggled, apparently pleased with the mess he had made. 'I swear, that's the fifth thing he's broken today!' Angelina cried, fixing the lamp with a flick of her wand. She heaved it back up on the table and picked up Fred. 'You're not going anywhere until we go to the Burrow!' she scolded. He blew a wet raspberry at her, and George laughed.

* * *

'Hugoooo!' Fred wailed, a few hours later.

'We'll see Hugo as soon as you're dressed!' Angelina cried, slightly frustrated. Fred continued to cry for his favourite cousin, who was a mere three months older than him. Angelina managed to stick him in a t-shirt and brown trousers. 'Now go bother your father!' she said, and he toddled off. She heard a yelp a moment later as Fred undoubtedly sat on George's feet. He tended to do that nowadays.

'Ange?' George hobbled into the room with Fred clinging to his leg. 'Why is Fred using me as a transportation device?'

'I suppose he just wants to make sure he comes with us, wherever we go,' Angelina laughed. She attempted to tug Fred off of his father's leg, but he held fast. 'Alright, I guess we'll have to Floo like this,' she sighed.

She ushered her family into the fireplace, then yelled, 'The Burrow!' They were whisked off in a streak of green, and Fred started to cry from the feeling of Flooing. Once the familiar house came into view, however, he hopped off of George's leg and immediately ran to his cousin, who jumped off his toy broomstick to greet him.

'Hi, Angelina!' Ginny yelled across the room. 'Come join us!' Angelina stepped carefully around the many children playing on the floor and sat down next to Hermione, where the girls were chatting. 'Happy birthday, Fred!' Audrey said, since she was closest to the birthday boy, but he paid no attention to her and continued to play with Hugo.

'Sorry about that,' Angelina said, making herself comfortable. 'He's working on his manners.' The other women laughed.

'Well, at least we know they'll be good friends,' Hermione said fondly, looking at their two boys.

'Oh, yeah, that'll be perfect,' Angelina snorted. 'Two little boys to make our lives difficult.' Everyone laughed again. Angelina yawned. 'I'm so tired.'

'Are you okay?' Ginny asked.

'Oh, I'm fine,' Angelina replied dismissively. 'Freddie's a real handful. He makes me run around the house all day! I've been so cranky lately. Like this morning I yelled at George for forgetting to make the bed.' She laughed. 'Poor thing was so confused.'

'Lunch!' Molly bellowed over the noise, and everyone scrambled to the table, trying not to trip over anyone else.

* * *

'Please finish your beans, Freddie,' Angelina begged.

'No!'

She sighed. 'If you don't finish, I guess you don't get dessert. That's fine, Daddy will eat it all.'

Fred gasped. 'No!' He grabbed his mother's hand and directed it toward his mouth.

'Good boy. Now, here comes the broomstick!' Fred opened his mouth obligingly, and Angelina tipped the spoon into his mouth. Around the table, the other mothers were doing similar things as well. Hugo refused point-blank to accept the beans, and Lily took a small nibble from the spoon Ginny was holding out for her. Finally, Fred's plate was clean.

'Cake!' he cried, and soon the entire table of children was begging for dessert.

'Oh, alright then!' Angelina said finally, and the table went up in cheers. 'Molly?' she asked, sticking her head into the kitchen. 'The kids want dessert now. Is everyone finished?'

'Just about,' her mother-in-law replied, wiping her forehead as she juggled nearly twenty dishes.

'Here, let me take some of those,' Angelina said, reaching over and taking a stack of plates from her left hand.

'Thank you, dear,' Molly said gratefully, sliding the dishes into the sink, where they began to clean themselves. 'The cake's in the fridge,' she added, mopping her forehead again.

Angelina took the cake out and carefully placed it on the table, where all the kids crowded round. She lit the candles with a flick of her wand, then encouraged everyone to start singing.

'Happy birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuu,' the Weasley-Potters sang, terribly off-key. 'Happy birthday to youuuuuuuu! Happy birthday dear Freeeeeeeeeed, happy birthday to youuuuuuu!' Fred attempted to blow out the candles, but sneezed on the cake instead.

'Ew!' Teddy cried, recoiling.

'I'm not eating that,' Victoire stated firmly. The rest of the children seemed to have no problem with the cake, so Angelina cut a slice and placed it on a plate in front of Fred, who immediately grabbed a fistful and stuffed it in his mouth.

'Manners, Fred,' Angelina reminded him, picking up the fork and placing another bite in his mouth. Molly then served the rest of the children their slices, and everyone seemed happy after that.

* * *

'If our family has any more children, that house is going to explode,' Angelina said as they stepped out of the fireplace.

'BOOM!' Fred yelled ecstatically.

'That's right, Fred,' George said. 'Explode means boom!' Angelina rolled her eyes, and Fred laughed happily.

'Alright, Fred,' Angelina said, picking him up, 'time for bed.'

'No!' Fred yelled.

'Yes!' George cried back, tickling his son.

'Come on, now,' Angelina said. 'I'll tell you a bedtime story if you come.'

Fred pondered it for a moment, then said, 'Okay.'

'Good boy,' Angelina said, kissing his forehead. She carried him upstairs, changed him into his pyjamas, then tucked him in. 'Do you want to hear the story of Larry Dotter?'

'Yes,' Fred said, yawning.

'I'll tell you about his first Quidditch match. See, there were six other people on his team. One of them was named Langelina Thompson, and she was a chaser...' As Angelina went on about 'Larry's' first Quidditch match, Fred slowly drifted off to sleep. Once he had finally fallen asleep, Angelina kissed his forehead, turned off the light, and closed the door.

'What story did you tell him tonight?' George asked, yawning as he got into bed.

'The one about "Larry Dotter's" first Quidditch match,' Angelina replied, turning off the lamp.

'That was a fun one. Who am I, again?'

'Lorge Peasley.'

'Oh, yeah,' George mumbled, pulling his wife close and snuggling with her. 'That's a good one.'

'Sure is,' Angelina said, feeling herself falling asleep. 'Good night.'

'Good night,' George whispered back, kissing her tenderly.


	2. Not Again!

**Date: October 22, 2010**

**Chapter 2: Not Again!**

Angelina stood in front of the calendar, muttering under her breath. 'Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty...' Finally, she was forced to accept the fact that she had counted thirty-six days.

Thirty-six days since her last period.

'Oh, no,' Angelina sighed. She flopped onto the bed. When was the last time she and George had...Angelina remembered, nearly a month before Fred's second birthday. But she had gotten her period a week later, and thought nothing of it.

Had they used protection? Angelina supposed in the heat of the moment they might have forgotten. Even if they did use protection, it didn't always work. Angelina knew that from experience. She remembered the drastic conception of Fred, and all the trouble they'd had to get through to have him. But George and Angelina were married now, and there was nothing wrong with a married couple having a child.

Normally in this situation, her mother would be the first person Angelina would tell. But Angelina hadn't spoken to her mother since Fred's birth. She was determined to never acknowledge her again. Yet, usually once a week, her mother would leave a message on the phone. 'Angie,' she'd said in the last one, 'please forgive me. I want - ' Angelina had hit the delete button before the message even ended.

Angelina closed her eyes. After everything that had happened, she was too scared to want another child. But there was an ache inside her that begged for a new baby.

Resolving herself, Angelina sat up, called St Mungo's and made an appointment for 4 o'clock the next day. There was no point in worrying herself if she wasn't even pregnant, was there?

* * *

'Angelina, how are you?' Healer Smith asked.

'Fine, thanks,' Angelina said quietly. She gave the Healer a nervous smile.

'Tell me again exactly what happened,' said Healer Smith.

'Er...' Angelina thought for a moment. 'Well, George and I...you know...almost two months ago, but I got my period after that, and I thought it was nothing. But now I'm late, so...'

'Well, was it your period, or was it simply light bleeding?'

'Erm, it only lasted three days.' Angelina admitted.

'It might just have been vaginal bleeding,' Healer Smith explained. 'Do you want me to test you for pregnancy?'

'Okay,' Angelina said timidly. Healer Smith pulled out her wand and muttered something under her breath. Angelina's stomach glowed, then went back to its usual colour.

'Congratulations, Angelina!' Healer Smith cried.

Angelina smiled, in spite of herself. This time she could be happy. This time would be right.

'You're about two months,' the Healer continued.

Angelina was struck with a sudden thought. 'How come I haven't had morning sickness or anything? I haven't had any other symptoms, either.'

'Well, you see, just as every baby is different, so is every pregnancy. You should be glad,' Healer Smith added, chuckling. 'I wouldn't think you would want morning sickness.'

'No,' Angelina agreed. 'That would pretty much ruin my day.'

The Healer gave a hearty laugh and sent her on her way.

* * *

'Happy birthday, Ange,' George said, a day later as they woke up in bed.

'You too,' Angelina muttered back, slightly disoriented, and George laughed.

'It's not my birthday,' he reminded her.

'Oh, yeah...' Angelina sat up and stretched. 'Where's - '

'MUMMY!' A blur of orange and blue raced into the room and jumped on the bed. 'Happy birthday, Mummy!'

'Thank you, darling,' Angelina said, kissing Fred's bright hair.

'Present,' Fred said, holding out a box with a card stuck on top. It read 'Happy birthday, Mum!' in neat handwriting. Angelina smiled, knowing George had written the card.

'Oh, Fred,' Angelina said as she opened the box. It was a clay heart with his hand-print in it. 'Thank you, sweetheart.'

'Daddy helped,' Fred said, snuggling against his mother.

'Did he?' Angelina said, raising her eyebrows at George. 'I wouldn't have guessed.' George let out a bark of laughter.

* * *

'Did you have a nice birthday?' George asked later.

Angelina smiled. 'How could I not? What with you trying to make cake, Fred trying to lick it off the floor, and not to mention the lunch fiasco, it was a very interesting day. Honestly, how hard is it to make a sandwich?'

'Oi, Fred was the one who sprayed me with mustard,' George said defensively.

'Yes, well, he's two. You're over thirty,' Angelina pointed out.

George huffed. 'So are you.'

Angelina raised her eyebrows. 'Are you calling me old?'

'Never,' George said, kissing her.

As they were getting bed, Angelina seized her chance. 'I need to talk to you about something,' she said, twisting her hands.

'Are you okay?' George asked immediately.

Angelina smiled at her husband's protectiveness. 'I'm fine. It's just...' she steeled herself. 'I'm pregnant again.'

George stared at her, then grinned. 'Really?' She let out a startled, 'oh!' as he pulled her close and kissed her. 'Another baby. Blimey,' he said in awe.

'I just hope this one's not quite as bizarre as last time,' Angelina said quietly, and George hugged her.

'It'll be fine,' he told her. 'This baby is perfect.' And she believed him.


	3. Confusing Moments

**Date: November 17, 2010**

**Chapter 3: Confusing Moments**

'Ange?'

'Hush.'

George stared in bewilderment at his wife, who was currently observing her stomach in the mirror. 'This doesn't make any sense,' she mumbled.

'What is it?' George asked finally.

As if just realising he was there, Angelina turned around. 'I'm only two and a half months pregnant and I'm already showing.'

'So?' George said, slightly confused. 'Maybe it's just a big baby.'

'Sure,' Angelina said absentmindedly. 'I'm going to go wake Fred up.' George watched her exit, still confused.

* * *

'George, I have an appointment tomorrow with Healer Smith,' Angelina told her husband a week later over dinner. 'Could you watch Fred?'

He stopped chewing. 'Can't I come?'

Angelina blinked at him. 'Well, of course you can. I just didn't think you'd be all that interested.'

George rolled his eyes. 'It's my baby. Of course I'm interested!'

'Well, you didn't want to come for any of Fred's appointments,' Angelina reminded him.

'I was a little shocked then, remember?' George said quietly.

Angelina nodded, patting his hand. 'I don't blame you. But we'll have to bring Fred if you're coming.'

'I'm sure he'll be fine at the Burrow,' George said dismissively. 'He loves Mum.'

'Well, alright, then,' Angelina said. 'Fred, how would you like to go to the Burrow tomorrow?'

'Burrow!' Fred cried happily.

'That's settled then,' George said. 'I'll ask Mum tonight.'

* * *

'George, haven't seen you in a while,' Healer Smith said. 'But where's the little one?'

'At my Mum's house,' George answered as Angelina hopped up on the table. 'We're hoping he won't blow anything up.'

Healer Smith chuckled. 'It's not unlikely,' she said. 'Now, Angelina, have you been feeling okay?'

'Yes,' Angelina said.

'And you're already showing, that's unusual...' the Healer trailed off. 'Just let me take a look inside, alright?' Angelina nodded, and Healer Smith cast a spell on her abdomen. A large bubble came out of it, showing the inside of Angelina's stomach. 'How curious...'

'Is the baby okay?' George asked anxiously.

'Oh, yes,' Healer Smith assured him. 'The babies are perfectly fine.'

'Good,' George said, relaxing. Then, a moment later, he jumped out of his chair. 'Did you say _babies?'_

Healer Smith grinned. 'You're having twins!' Angelina cried out in joy and George hit the floor. 'Oh, dear,' Healer Smith said, smiling. _'Ennervate.'_

George let out a gasp and sat up. 'Twins,' he whispered. 'Oh, Merlin.' Angelina laughed and swatted him.


	4. Family Matters

**Date: December 19, 2010**

**Chapter 4: Family Matters**

'You know,' Angelina said one day, 'the family is going to find out about the twins eventually.'

George choked on a meatball. 'They don't even know you're expecting!'

'Exactly,' Angelina said. 'We need to tell them soon. Not to mention, Fred doesn't know either.'

'Well, Fred is easy,' George pointed out.

Angelina grinned. 'If he's so easy, you tell him.'

'I will,' George said determinedly. He put the dishes on the counter in the kitchen, then walked over to where Fred was playing. 'Freddie, can you listen for a moment? Your mummy and I need to ask you something.'

Fred hopped up on the couch and stared at his father, who looked at Angelina for help. 'This is all you,' she said, holding her hands up.

'Thanks,' George said grudgingly. He turned back to Fred. 'Erm, Freddie,' he started, 'how would you feel about having two brothers or sisters?'

'No,' Fred said simply.

George stared at him. 'Now what do we do?' he muttered to Angelina out of the corner of his mouth. She rolled her eyes and took pity on him.

'Fred, love, why don't you want two new siblings?' she asked her son gently.

'You're my mummy,' Fred replied, his eyes welling up. 'My mummy, my daddy. No share!'

'Oh, Freddie...' Angelina picked him up and put him on her lap, which was becoming difficult to do. 'You won't have to share us. We're going to give you just as much attention as the new babies will get, alright?'

'No!' Fred wailed.

Angelina sighed. 'Fred, listen to me.' Fred quieted down for a moment. 'I know you don't want to share us. But just think. You know how James is an older brother to Albus and Lily?'

He nodded.

'You have to be an older brother to the new babies,' Angelina went on. 'You can teach them how to fly, and how to walk, and how to read. Won't that be nice?'

Fred nodded again.

'They're going to look up to you, and you're going to have to help them out, okay?' She dried his tears. 'Now go play.' Fred jumped off the couch again. She turned to George. 'You, my dear husband, are a coward,' she told him.

He scowled. 'How was I supposed to know what to say? I've never done this before.'

'What, you think I have?' Angelina scoffed. 'Now go and clean up the dishes.' She pushed him toward the kitchen, and he grumbled to himself.

* * *

'Angelina, dear, it's so good to see you!' Molly cried over the din. 'You look lovely!'

'Thank you!' Angelina shouted back. It was a crowded Christmas Eve dinner at the Burrow, since the entire family had come, including Charlie. _Two more will be here next year,_Angelina thought happily. She rubbed her stomach.

* * *

'Ready?' Angelina whispered to George, squeezing his hand.

'Yeah,' he replied, and they stood up. But before they could speak, Fred said, 'Mummy, where the babies?'

Everyone stopped talking, and Angelina blushed. 'Erm, I guess that's our news,' she said sheepishly. 'We're expecting again!'

The table erupted into cheers, and Lucy screamed in surprise. 'Oh, congratulations, you two!' Molly said, hugging them both. Then she froze. 'Hold up a minute!' she yelled over the noise. 'Did Fred say _babies?'_

George cleared his throat self-consciously. 'Well, yeah. It's twins.'

'Oh!' Molly squealed. 'Twins! Two little grandbabies for the family!' She squeezed them both again, and George let out a little 'oof!'

* * *

'Your mum is really something,' Angelina sighed. She tried to bend down to rub her sore feet, but was no longer able to with her stomach in the way. So she sat down and tried to rub them by bending her knees, but she still couldn't reach. 'George, dear?'

'Hmm?'

'Could you rub my feet for me? I can't quite reach,' Angelina said meekly.

He smiled. 'Of course I can,' he said, and he massaged her left foot in his hands.

They were at the Burrow, as was their usual Christmas tradition. The entire family would stay at the Burrow, then wake up in the morning to open presents together. Unfortunately, the Burrow's rooms could only hold so many people, so the children usually ended up sleeping on the floor in the living room on spare blankets. Not that they minded, they would much rather be with each other than their 'boring old parents,' as Dominique had put it one year.

Once Angelina's feet were less achy, the couple went to bed, with George holding Angelina tightly in his arms.

* * *

'Mummy, Daddy, wake up! IT'S CHRISTMAS!' yelled Fred, pouncing on his parents' bed.

'Is it, now?' George mumbled. 'Must have missed the memo.'

'WAKE UP!' Fred yelled. Then he tore out of the room to wake everyone else up.

George and Angelina yawned. Angelina rubbed her stomach as she trudged out of the room.

* * *

'Fred, what do you say to Grandmum and Granddad?' Angelina asked her son as he ripped the paper off of a brand new toy broomstick.

'Thank you, Grandmum. Thank you Granddad,' Fred said, hugging his grandmother's leg.

'You're welcome, dear,' Molly replied, patting his head fondly.

'Look what Santa got me!' Rose squealed on the other side of the room. She held up a thick novel, entitled _Dragons: Amazing Species and Fascinating Facts_.

Charlie ruffled her hair. 'Going to be a dragon trainer like me, eh? Good on you!'

After the children had opened the presents and the paper had been cleared away, everyone dispersed to brush their teeth. Angelina pulled Fred's blue Christmas jumper over his head and then sent him to the table so he could eat his breakfast.

'We take on too much, sometimes,' she murmured to George, putting her head on his shoulder.

'Ah, it's all good fun,' George replied, kissing her.

Angelina gasped. 'Fred, stop throwing your eggs!' she yelled.


	5. Names for Two

**Date: January 21, 2011**

**Chapter 5: Names for Two**

George gazed at the sleeping form of his wife. _She's always so pretty when she's pregnant_, he thought.

'George?' Angelina said, with her eyes closed.

'What?'

'Stop staring at me.'

George laughed. 'I wasn't staring at you.'

'Yes, you were. I could feel it.' Angelina replied. She tried to roll onto her stomach, then remembered that she couldn't, so she rolled onto her back instead.

'Are we still going to call one of the babies Roxanne Katherine?' George asked suddenly.

Angelina sighed, muttered, 'I'm not going to get any sleep now,' and sat up. 'I suppose,' she said, opening her eyes blearily and stretching.

'Then don't we need to come up with three more names?'

Angelina yawned. 'Why three?' she asked tiredly.

'Two for boys, two for girls,' George explained slowly, as if it was extremely obvious. Which, Angelina supposed, it was, but she wasn't fully awake yet.

'Right,' she said. 'So what do you want to name them?'

'I dunno,' George said. 'Fred was my only bright idea, to be honest.'

'I'm sure you can think of something,' Angelina mumbled, blinking.

'Well, what about Abigail?' George asked.

'Who's Abigail?'

'No one,' George said, his ears turning red. Angelina looked at him pointedly. 'Oh, alright. She was my imaginary friend when I was six.'

Angelina giggled. 'Why did you have an imaginary friend? Didn't you have Fred to hang out with?'

'Well, there was this one week when we had a bit of a spat,' George admitted. 'So I started talking to "Abigail". But within a week, Fred and I were best friends again, so I never needed her after that. But it's still a nice name!'

'I'll agree with you on that,' Angelina said, still chuckling. 'Abigail Melanie,' she mused.

'That sounds nice,' George said. 'Abigail Melanie Weasley and Roxanne Katherine Weasley. What about boys?'

'I don't know,' Angelina said irritably. 'This was your idea, remember?'

George rolled his eyes. 'What about Alfred? Alfred William, after Bill.'

'Sure,' Angelina said. 'That's a cute name. And maybe Taylor for another boy.'

'Taylor...Taylor Weasley...' George said thoughtfully. 'Taylor Charles Weasley.'

'Sounds good,' Angelina said. 'Can I go back to sleep now?' George snorted as she rolled over and fell back asleep.


	6. Be My Valentine

**Date: February 14, 2011**

**Chapter 6: Be My Valentine**

Angelina quietly got out of bed and tiptoed downstairs. It was Valentine's Day, and that had always been a special day for George and Angelina. It had been the day George asked Angelina to move in with him, and the day Angelina had started to show symptoms of pregnancy. To Angelina, it would always be a symbol of love.

Very quietly, Angelina stepped into the fireplace. She meant to go to Diagon Alley and get some ingredients for George's favourite dessert, chocolate gateau.

As she was pushing the cart down an aisle, she spotted someone on the other end, looking through the coffee section. Once she realised who it was, she immediately turned around and started to go the other way, but it was too late.

'Angelina?'

Angelina flinched and turned around slowly. There was her mother, looking the same as always, but she was so different in Angelina's eyes. Angelina no longer saw her as Mrs Johnson, the woman who had given birth to her and cared for her all her life. Now she was just somebody she used to know. Angelina stared at her mother, refusing to break the silence.

'Oh, Angelina, are you still not talking to me?' Angelina looked at her pointedly. 'Come on, now. It was a mistake. Can't you just get over it?'

This snapped Angelina out of her silent protest. _'Get over it?'_ she said in a deathly whisper. 'You ruined my wedding night, didn't support me when I was having a baby, and pretty much left me out to suffer. And you want me to "get over it"?'

'Angelina, I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I have to say it,' her mother said beseechingly.

'I don't care how many times you say it!' Angelina cried, and some of the shoppers looked around at her. 'You will never gain my forgiveness, not for this.'

'Angelina - '

'Please,' Angelina said, cutting her off. 'Just don't talk to me. If you will excuse me, I need to get flour from that aisle.' Her mother wordlessly moved aside, and Angelina stalked past her.

Once she had paid, Angelina took her bags outside, only to find her mother waiting just outside the door. 'Oh, honestly!' she cried in frustration.

'I'll keep turning up until you talk to me,' Mrs Johnson warned.

'I am talking to you,' Angelina pointed out.

'As your _mother,_' Mrs Johnson scoffed. 'I won't be the person that doesn't want to make amends. It's time to forgive, Angelina.'

'I will never forgive you,' Angelina said. _'Never.'_

'Then simply talk to me. I don't expect you to ever fully forgive me. You're too stubborn for that.' Angelina suppressed a smile. 'But I want to know how you are. I still care about you.'

There was silence for a few moments, then Angelina said, 'I'm expecting again.'

'I can see that,' her mother replied.

'It's twins.'

'Oh. Congrats.'

Silence fell again, and then Angelina spoke. 'This isn't working, and you know it,' she said. 'I have to go.' She flooed back home, where, unfortunately, George was awake.

'Where were you?' he asked sleepily, pouring himself water from the jug in the fridge.

'Shopping. I'm making something special for you tonight,' Angelina replied, heaving the bags onto the counter.

'What took you so long?'

Angelina sighed. 'I ran into my mother.'

'Oh.' George surveyed her. 'That must have been...'

'Awkward,' Angelina supplied. 'And yes, it was. She seems to be under the impression that everything is dandy just because she apologised. I mean, honestly!' she huffed.

George sighed. 'I know. She is your mother, though. She's shown that she loves you before.'

'She lost all my love when she humiliated me at my wedding,' Angelina said decidedly, sticking the eggs in the fridge.

'I don't want to talk about this now,' George said abruptly. 'It's Valentine's Day, remember?'

Angelina smiled. 'Happy Valentine's Day, George.'

George kissed her lightly on the lips. 'Happy Valentine's Day. And Happy Valentine's Day to you, too, babies!' He rubbed her stomach, and she felt a sharp jab.

'Oh, I think one of them just kicked!' Angelina cried happily. 'Do it again.'

George placed his hand on the other side of her stomach, and once again she felt a jab, although this one was slightly less sharp. 'That must have been the other one,' George said in awe. 'It's amazing.'

'I know,' Angelina breathed. 'Even with Fred, it was amazing.' A thought struck her. 'Where is Fred?'

'I sent him to the Burrow. Mum understands,' George said. 'I thought we could use a day alone.'

'Definitely,' Angelina said in relief.

And they spent the rest of the day being in love.


	7. Questions

**Date: March 10, 2011**

**Chapter 7: Questions**

'Mummy?'

'What is it, Fred?'

'Sit?'

Angelina smiled. 'Of course you can sit with me. Come here.' She picked up her son and placed him on what little lap she had left.

'Where the babies?' Fred asked, snuggling against his mother's large stomach.

'They're right here, in my tummy,' Angelina said, placing a hand on it.

'Why don't they come out?'

'Because they're not big enough yet, sweetheart,' Angelina replied. 'They have to grow in here for a while first, and then they'll come out.'

'When?'

'In a few months, Freddie. Just a few more months until you meet your new brothers or sisters.'

Fred nodded and kissed his mother's stomach. 'I can't wait.'

Angelina smiled with tears in her eyes. Fred was going to be an amazing older brother.

* * *

'Here comes the broomstick!' Angelina directed a spoon of peas into Fred's mouth.

'Mummy?' Fred asked, after he had finished chewing.

'Yes?'

'Where did the babies come from?' George choked on his potatoes.

'Oh, I'll let Daddy answer that one,' Angelina said lightly. 'George, what do you think?' George spluttered indignantly as Angelina left the table under the pretense of getting water.

'Erm, well...' George's ears turned red. 'You see, son...when a man...there's a thing...the stork...' Fred stared innocently at his father, who went redder than humanly possible. 'See, there's this magic, called love magic. And when two people love each other very much, this love magic causes a baby to be created,' George invented wildly. 'Okay?'

'Okay,' Fred said, and George sighed in relief.

'How did it go?' Angelina asked, coming back with a glass of water.

'Perfect,' George grumbled. 'You can give him the talk, when he needs that.'

'No, I don't think so,' Angelina said cheerfully, and George banged his head on the table while Fred laughed.


	8. Birthday Surprises

**Date: April 1, 2011**

**Chapter 8: Birthday Surprises**

'Seven months and I look nine,' Angelina huffed to herself as she looked in the bathroom mirror.

'I think you look beautiful,' came a voice from the doorway, and Angelina turned to see George leaning against the frame.

'Happy birthday, George,' she said, kissing him.

'Thanks,' he said, smiling.

'Happy birthday, Daddy!' yelled a voice, and George let out a little 'oof!' as he was attacked by a tiny creature with red hair.

'Freddie, why don't you go and get Daddy's present?' Angelina asked, pulling her son off of George.

Fred nodded so quickly Angelina thought he might get whiplash, and then he raced out of the room. He came back a minute later with a sloppily wrapped gift. 'I wrapped it myself,' Fred explained gleefully.

'I think you did it perfectly,' George assured him. He carefully unwrapped the gift to find a silver watch. 'Thank you, Fred,' George said, kissing his son. 'How did you know I needed a new watch?'

'I figured it out all by myself!' Fred said proudly, but when George looked at Angelina he knew she had told Fred that George needed a watch. It didn't matter, it was the thought that counted.

'Well, it's perfect,' George said, slipping it on. 'What's for breakfast?'

Angelina smiled. 'Come down soon and you'll see,' she said.

George smiled and brushed his teeth quickly. Then he went downstairs to find Angelina making an omelet and hash-brown. 'My favourite,' he said, grabbing a plate from the cupboard.

'I know,' Angelina said, smiling. 'Come on, Freddie, I'll give you scrambled eggs.'

'Yay!' Fred said delightedly.

* * *

'Mummy, can I feel the babies?' Fred clambered up on the bed beside Angelina, who smiled.

'Of course you can.' She directed his hand to the place where she had last felt a kick.

Fred gasped as one of the babies kicked him. 'Oh,' he said. 'I'm going to tell Daddy.' He raced out of the room, and Angelina smiled.

But she was only happy for a moment.

She heard a scream and a series of thuds, then a shout from George: 'Ange!'

Angelina raced out of the room to find Fred out cold at the bottom of the stairs. 'He must have fallen down,' George said worriedly. He knelt by his son. 'What do we do?' he asked frantically.

Angelina thought fast. 'Take him to St Mungo's!' she yelled. George scooped him up and raced to the fireplace, Angelina close behind. 'St Mungo's Emergency Room!' she cried, and they disappeared in a flash of green.


	9. Terrified

**A/N: Updated just for all of you who added to alerts/favourites or reviewed. Thank you!**

**Chapter 9: Terrified**

'It's all my fault,' Angelina whispered, her head in her hands.

She felt a comforting rub on her back. 'How do you figure that?' George asked.

'I should've told him not to run,' Angelina said, her voice thick. 'I knew, I just knew, he was going to get hurt. And I didn't do anything about it.'

'He'll be fine,' George assured her, and she turned to look at him.

'Aren't you even the least bit worried?' she asked.

'Of course I am!' he said, outraged. His hand was gone from her back. 'He's my son, too, Ange! Of course I'm worried!'

'I'm sorry,' Angelina whispered.

He rubbed her back again. 'Me, too. But there's no point arguing now. What we need to do is be there for Fred.'

'Mr and Mrs Weasley?' They looked up. 'You can see your son now.' The Healer led them to a room, where Fred was sitting up and yawning.

'Hi, Mummy. Hi, Daddy,' he said calmly.

Angelina hurried to him. 'Oh, Freddie, we were so worried,' she sobbed.

'He's going to be fine,' Healer Smith said, watching Angelina and George fondle Fred. 'He doesn't have a concussion, but if he vomits or passes out, bring him right back here.'

'Thank you,' George said gratefully. 'Can we take him home now?'

Healer Smith smiled and showed them out.

'Angelina! Is Fred alright?' The three of them turned to see Mrs Johnson hurrying toward them.

'What are you doing here?' Angelina hissed.

'Checking on my grandson. I saw you go in,' her mother replied. She looked at George.

'Hello,' he said stiffly.

'We're going to go home now,' Angelina said firmly, 'and you will not speak to us again.' She took Fred's hand and led him out the door.

'Mummy? Who was that?' Fred asked, pulling at her sleeve.

'No one, Fred,' Angelina said tiredly. 'No one you need to worry about.'

* * *

Angelina couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Fred. What if he went to sleep and wouldn't wake up? Silently, Angelina got out of bed and opened the door to Fred's room. He was fast asleep.

'Fred? Freddie, wake up.'

Fred rolled over, rubbing his eyes. 'What?' he asked sleepily.

'Are you alright?'

'Yes, Mummy.'

'Good,' Angelina sighed. 'Go back to sleep now.' Fred yawned and flopped back over, and Angelina closed the door.

'Where'd you go?' George asked, not opening his eyes.

'To check on Fred,' Angelina whispered back, sliding back underneath the covers.

'Is he okay?'

'He's fine,' Angelina said. 'Perfectly fine.' And she rolled over and fell asleep.


	10. Passing Time

**Date: May 28, 2011**

**Chapter 10: Passing Time**

Now nearing her due date, Angelina had to be on guard, since the twins could make their appearance any day.

'Twins are always a high-risk pregnancy,' Healer Smith had said a few days earlier. 'It's very common for women carrying multiples to go into labour early. Remember, if your waters break, get here as soon as possible.'

'I know,' Angelina had said. 'I've done this before.' She smiled.

So now, whatever Angelina was doing, she had to relax during a Braxton-Hicks contraction and see if that was all it is, or if it was a real contraction. She hated having to be so cautious all the time.

On the other hand, Fred seemed to be going out of his way to cause trouble. It might have been the terrible two's, but whatever it was was driving Angelina mad.

'Fred! Don't colour on the walls!'

'Fred, dear, please don't throw your food.'

'Fred, you do not climb the table!'

It seemed that all Angelina was doing was scolding Fred. She hated seeing his face when she yelled at him, so after giving herself some time to cool off, Angelina would go and find her son and they would apologise to each other. Not that Fred meant it, for he'd be doing the same thing the next day, and the day after that. But Angelina knew he wasn't trying intentionally to be naughty. He simply didn't know better.

'Mummy, why aren't the babies here yet?' Fred asked one day, after apologising for flying his toy broomstick in the house.

'They're still growing, Fred. But it won't be long now,' Angelina assured him.

Fred thought for a minute, then said, 'I want to have kids someday, Mummy.'

Angelina smiled. 'I'm sure you do, but you don't need to think about that yet. You're much too young.'

'Okay,' Fred agreed, and he kissed his mother's stomach. 'Bye-bye babies. Come out soon.' Then he toddled off to play with his blocks.

May turned to June, and Angelina had to find ways to make herself cooler. She felt sweaty and huge, and the only way to keep herself cool was to cast a cooling charm on the house.

'Damn it!' Angelina cried as she stared at the frosted-over kitchen.

'What happened, Mu-aah!' Fred walked into the kitchen and slipped on the icy floor.

'Oh, Fred! Are you alright?' Angelina asked, helping him up.

'I'm okay,' Fred said, though he seemed a little dazed. Angelina had to wait for George to get home so he could unfreeze the kitchen, so Fred and Angelina ate out for lunch.

'What on Earth did you do?' George asked when he came home, careful not to step in an icy patch of the floor.

'I was just trying to cool the house down. I was afraid that if I tried to heat it again, I might cause a fire,' Angelina answered sheepishly.

George rolled his eyes and righted the kitchen in a wand's flick.

'Thank you,' sighed Angelina.

George laughed. 'Next time, just go to the Burrow or something, alright?'

Angelina grinned.

And this was how she, Fred, and George spent their days.


	11. Just a Little Accident

**Date: June 6, 2011**

**Chapter 11: Just a Little Accident**

'Something smells delicious,' George sighed, coming down the stairs and inhaling the aroma of seasoned potatoes.

'I made lunch,' Angelina said. Her stomach bulged out from her figure, as she was due in nearly a week.

'Great,' George said, kissing her. 'Fred, lunch!'

Fred came bounding out of the living room, and George hoisted him into his high-chair. Angelina served the lunch, then took her place next to Fred so she could feed him.

'How are you feeling?' George asked, digging into the meal.

'Fine,' Angelina replied. 'Just some Braxton-Hicks contractions, but nothing else. Open up, Freddie!' Fred obliged and Angelina tipped a spoon into his mouth.

Once they had finished, Angelina and George sat down with Fred to do learning exercises.

'Freddie, can you recite the alphabet for Daddy?' Angelina asked.

Fred nodded proudly. 'A, B, C...' he rattled off. George smiled at his son. '...W, X, Y, Z!'

'Good job, Fred!' George praised. Then he furrowed his eyebrows and sniffed the air. 'Ange, is something burning?'

With a sinking feeling Angelina realised she had forgotten to turn the stove off in the kitchen, and she had left a towel next to it. 'Oh, no!' she cried. She raced to the kitchen with George close behind, and opened the door to find a devastating sight.

There was a fire raging on the wall and floor near the stove. Angelina quickly grabbed Fred and placed him outside the door. 'Stay here!' she told him.

'Aguamenti!' George yelled, and water sprayed from his wand. He did it again and again, until eventually, the fire fizzled out. Angelina stared at the blackened walls, and felt a jolt in her stomach.

'Brilliant!' George shouted, lowering his wand. 'Bloody brilliant! Nothing can happen in this house without something going wrong! How many times do we have to do this?'

Angelina blinked at him, her mouth slightly open.

'I mean, really!' George went on. 'Is it so hard to do one bloody thing right?'

Angelina stared at him, dumbstruck.

'Say something!' George yelled in frustration.

Angelina's mouth moved like a fish, and then she managed to say, 'My waters broke.'


	12. Abigail Melanie

**Chapter 12: Abigail Melanie**

'What?' George gaped at her.

'You heard me!' Angelina cried, clutching her stomach.

'Alright, just hang on,' George told her. He knelt down next to Fred, who looked very confused. 'Freddie, the babies are going to come now.'

'Can I see?'

'No, Fred. You can see the babies after they're born, okay? Until then you can go to the Burrow and stay with Grandmum and Granddad. Is that alright?'

Fred nodded, and George walked him over to the fireplace, but before they could step in, Angelina moaned, _'Ohh.'_

George looked at her in alarm. 'There's no time,' Angelina groaned. 'Get your mother!'

George nodded quickly, stepped into the fireplace, and said, 'The Burrow!' He and Fred spun until the sitting room came into view. 'Mum!' George yelled.

She came running out of the bedroom. 'What is it, George? Is everything alright?'

'Angelina's gone into labour, we need Dad to watch Fred,' George said quickly.

'Why didn't you take her to the hospital?' Molly asked in surprise.

'She says there's no time. Can you help birth the twins?'

'Of course,' Molly said briskly. 'I birthed you, didn't I? Come along, now,' she said to Fred. 'Go upstairs until you find Granddad, and tell him that your Mummy is having the babies now, alright?'

Fred nodded and went up the stairs, and Molly headed with George to the fireplace.

Meanwhile, Angelina went upstairs slowly, breathing through contractions, and stripped the bed of its comforter and outer sheets. Then she changed into an old nightgown and took off her underwear.

'Angelina, how far apart are the contractions?' Molly asked, hurrying into the room.

'A minute,' Angelina said through gritted teeth.

Molly looked under her nightgown. 'The first baby is already crowning. George, I need you to get towels and warm water.' George nodded, kissed his wife's forehead, and ran out of the room to return a moment later with the supplies.

'George, hold her knees apart,' Molly said, and George moved around the bed to keep Angelina's legs apart.

'Ahh!' Angelina cried, gasping. 'I need to _push!'_

'I know, just wait a moment longer, alright?' Molly said soothingly. She situated herself at the bottom of the bed. 'Now, when you feel the next one, push!'

Angelina suppressed a scream as she pushed with all her might. Even after birthing a baby already, the pain was still unbearable.

'Push again, Angelina!'

This time, the scream ripped itself free of her throat as she pushed again. She did this two more times, and then -

'Stop, stop!'

Angelina's heart froze as she heard Molly's panicked yell. 'What is it? What's wrong?'

'The umbilical cord is wrapped around its neck,' Molly said, and Angelina could feel her moving things around down there. 'Whatever happens, do not push yet.'

Angelina waited, holding her breath, until she heard, 'Push!'

With one more push and a tremendous scream, the baby slid out. But there was no cry, or any sound at all. The world was silent.

'What's happening?' Angelina said, panicking. She propped herself up on her elbows, trying to see. 'Why isn't there any crying?'

Molly gave a sob. 'I'm so sorry. She was a stillborn.'


	13. Roxanne Katherine

**Chapter 13: Roxanne Katherine**

Angelina's heart stopped. 'No,' she said, disbelieving. 'No, she's not.'

'I'm so sorry, Angelina,' Molly whispered.

Angelina broke down into tears, ignoring the contractions telling her to push again. 'Abigail,' she whispered. 'Her name was supposed to be Abigail Melanie.'

George sat down on the bed next to Angelina and held her, tears dripping down his nose. 'Can we see her?' he asked quietly.

Molly nodded. She cleaned the baby in the warm water, wrapped her in a towel, and handed her to the parents. Angelina began to sob at the sight of her child's unresponsive face.

'Angelina, you need to push,' Molly said after a minute.

Angelina felt a contraction and pushed, but instead of screaming she sobbed. Then, seven minutes after Abigail was born, the second twin came into the world.

And Angelina and George heard a loud cry, which made them even sadder for the loss of Abigail. Angelina buried her head in George's shoulder, glad it was over.

'Here,' Molly said, handing George the new baby. 'It's a beautiful little girl.'

'Roxanne Katherine,' said George. A tear landed on the baby's face, and she sneezed lightly.

'Hi, Roxanne,' Angelina said, stroking her hair. 'I'm so sorry.' She curled in on herself and let the tears fall, as George gently rocked Roxanne.

* * *

Angelina was resting, as the trauma of the birth had become too much to handle. George gently rocked Roxanne, who looked at her father with wide eyes.

'Roxy,' George said. 'Roxy sounds nice. That can be your nickname.' Roxanne blinked, then yawned. 'You had a twin, you know,' George said, his voice breaking. 'Her name was Abigail. We could've called her Abby.' A tear slipped down his cheek.

'George?' Angelina had woken up. 'She's probably hungry.' Wordlessly, George handed Roxanne to his wife, who latched her to her breast.

'Are you okay?' George asked quietly.

Angelina sighed. 'No, and I probably never will be.' She looked at George with tears in her eyes. 'Do you know what it's like? I had _two _babies inside me, and now I only have one. She was living, and breathing, and now she's cold, and she'll never breathe again.' The tears started to fall. 'No mother should have to bury her own child.'

'I know,' George said softly. He stroked her hair. 'It hurts.'

Angelina rocked Roxanne until she fell asleep, then put her in the bassinet by the bed. 'Where's - ' Her voice caught.

'I put her in Fred's old crib. Dad says he can take care of Fred for a few days, until we can get back on our feet,' George replied. 'When do you want to bury her?'

'Soon,' Angelina said. 'As soon as possible. She's suffered enough. I just want a private funeral, you, me, and Fred.'

'Okay,' George said. 'I'll start arranging things tomorrow.'

Angelina nodded and drifted back to sleep, the tears drying on her face.

'I'm so sorry, Roxanne,' George whispered to the sleeping baby.


	14. Meet the Baby

**Date: June 9, 2011**

**Chapter 14: Meet the Baby**

Fred sat quietly at the Burrow, eating his cereal. He had been staying there for three days, and he had no idea why. _How long does it take to have a baby?_ he wondered.

'Good news, Fred!' Granddad said as he came into the room. 'You can go home today.'

'Hooray!' Fred yelled. He couldn't wait to meet the new babies. Once he had finished eating, he moved across the table and sat next to his grandfather, pulling on his sleeve. 'Can we leave now? Are you done yet? How about now?'

Granddad laughed. 'Soon, Fred. We'll leave in another hour.'

Fred sat, staring at the clock, until the minute hand moved. 'Granddad, it's been an hour! Let's go!'

Granddad chuckled again. 'No, Fred. It's only been a minute.'

'How much longer?'

'Not too long. I'll give you a hint,' Granddad said, winking. 'If you don't stare at the clock, time moves faster.' So Fred spent the next hour determinedly staring away from the clock.

'Okay, Fred,' Granddad said finally. 'Let's go.'

'Yes!' Fred said. 'Let's go, let's go! Hurry up, Granddad!' They stepped into the fireplace together.

Meanwhile, George and Angelina had just woken up, and Angelina was feeding Roxanne. They had already asked Molly to bring Fred home, and she had said he would be here any minute.

'Mummy! Daddy!' Fred yelled, bounding into the room. 'Can I see the babies?'

'Yes, Fred, but you need to calm down,' Angelina said. 'Otherwise you'll scare the baby.'

Fred nodded, and pretended to lock his lips and throw away the key. Then he crawled onto the bed. 'Fred,' George said, 'this is your baby sister, Roxanne.'

'She's tiny,' Fred commented. 'How's she supposed to play Quidditch?'

George chuckled. 'She'll grow,' he assured his son. 'Then you can teach her to fly all by yourself, alright?'

Roxanne blinked at her brother. Then she reached out and tried to grab his nose. Fred giggled. 'Where's the other one?' he asked.

Angelina looked away so Fred wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. 'Fred,' George started slowly, 'the other baby - she passed away.'

Fred looked at his parents in shock. 'But she was a baby. Babies can't die, can they, Mummy? Only old people die.'

'No, Fred,' Angelina said softly. 'Babies can die, just like adults can. Do you know who you were named after?' Fred shook his head. 'You were named after your father's brother, your uncle Fred. He died when he was only twenty years old.'

Now it was George's turn to look away. 'But why?' Fred asked, his eyes wide.

Angelina sighed. 'I don't know, Fred. Sometimes these things just happen. They shouldn't, but they do.'

Fred sniffled. 'It's not fair.'

Angelina's eyes welled up. 'I know, Fred. It's really not fair.' She moved over so George could slide into the bed, and then she hugged her family close, hoping against hope that they would never leave her like so many others had.


	15. Goodbye, Abby

**A/N: There shouldn't be too many chapters left now, so just hang in there!**

**Date: June 18, 2011**

**Chapter 15: Goodbye, Abby**

'...and may she forever rest in peace,' the priest concluded.

Angelina leaned on George's shoulder and wept. He closed his eyes, but the image of the little red mound of dirt remained imprinted on his eyelids. Fred reached up and squeezed his mother's hand. Even Roxanne seemed to know something was wrong with her parents, and she kept quiet.

'Come on, Ange,' George murmured. 'Let's go home.'

'You go on,' Angelina said softly. 'I want to stay for a while.' Fred let go of her hand and followed his father out of the cemetery.

How fitting was it that two of the people Angelina loved most were buried all but five feet away from each other? Her father's grave was beginning to wear down, while Abigail's was smooth and new. The brightness of the stone hurt Angelina's eyes, and she shut them.

There was a sudden pressure on her shoulder. She reached up to find a hand, and opened her eyes.

Her mother knelt next to her, tears pouring down her face. Angelina squeezed her hand until her knuckles turned white. 'I'm so sorry,' her mother cried.

Angelina let tears fall from her eyes as well. 'It's okay,' she whispered. 'I forgive you.'

Her mother threw her arms around her, and they held each other until they could leave without falling apart.

* * *

Angelina sat in the rocking chair three days later, feeding Roxanne from a bottle. George was at work, and Fred was likely playing with his toys.

'Mummy?' Angelina looked down to see Fred standing in front of the chair. 'Can I hold Roxy?'

Angelina bit her lip. 'Do you think you can be careful?'

'Yes, Mummy,' Fred promised.

'Alright then.' Angelina gently placed the baby in her brother's arms, and arranged them so he was holding her correctly. Roxanne blinked and yawned, while Angelina sat back in her chair and thought about the days where she had three babies instead of two.

A persistent ringing jerked Angelina out of her daydream. 'Fred, be very careful with Roxanne, okay?' Fred nodded, and Angelina hurried to the kitchen and snatched up the phone. 'Hello?' she said.

'Angelina? This is your mother.'

'Mother?' Angelina said in surprise. 'How did you get this number?'

'One of George's brothers gave it to me. William something.'

Angelina sighed. She would have to have a talk with Bill. 'Mother, I do forgive you, but this is never going to be the way it was. You understand that, don't you? I just need a little time to adjust.'

There was silence on the other end, then a crackle. 'You're right,' her mother said finally. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's okay,' Angelina said gently. 'I'll call you back later, alright?'

'Sure.' Her mother hung up. Angelina pressed her head against the cool tile wall for a moment, and then headed back to where Fred was gently rocking Roxanne.

'Look, Mummy, she fell asleep,' he said.

Angelina smiled. 'You must be a good rocker. She rarely ever goes to sleep that quickly.' She took her daughter upstairs and gently laid her in her cot. 'Good night, Roxy,' she whispered, closing the door.


	16. A Night Off

**Date: July 8, 2011**

**Chapter 16: A Night Off**

George shut the door, enjoying the peace and quiet. Home at last.

'Daddy!' Something barreled into him, making him stagger backward.

'Hi there, Freddie!' he said, ruffling his son's hair. 'Were you a good boy today?'

Before Fred could answer, Angelina came out of the bedroom with Roxanne clinging to her. 'George,' she moaned. 'I need a night off. Please?' Her eyes begged him. Roxanne babbled something and tugged at her mother's hair, which looked extremely bedraggled.

'Of course,' George said, kissing his wife. He wrinkled his nose. 'You smell like spit.'

'I know,' Angelina said wearily. 'Roxanne likes chewing me.'

George snickered. 'Why don't you call up Ginny or Hermione? Go and have a nice dinner.'

'Thank you,' Angelina said in relief, heading straight for their bedroom to clean up.

'Alright, kids,' George said, looking down at his two children. 'What should we do tonight?'

* * *

'Fred, no jumping on the table!' George yelled. He rocked Roxanne gently, who was wailing loudly. 'Roxy, please stop crying,' he begged. It made no difference.

George took a deep breath. 'If you're both quiet now, I'll give you chocolate frogs for dinner!' he yelled.

Glorious silence.

'Great,' George muttered. 'Now I've got to find the frogs.'

* * *

'Whee!' Fred yelled, jumping up and down on his bed. 'Wheeee!' Roxanne was screaming again, and George was fruitlessly trying to calm her down.

'George! What is all this racket?' Angelina bellowed from downstairs, slamming the door.

George gulped. 'It's nothing, really. They're just a bit hyper,' he said as she stuck her head in Fred's room.

'Why are they hyper?' Angelina asked with her hands on her hips. 'I told you to feed Fred the leftover beans, and Roxanne was supposed to get her formula. Don't tell me you didn't follow my instructions.' George mumbled something unintelligible and rubbed the back of his head. 'George!' Angelina cried in frustration. 'What did you give them?'

'Erm...' George started sheepishly, 'there were a few chocolate frogs...'

'YOU GAVE THEM CHOCOLATE FROGS?!' George flinched and cowered in front of his raging wife. 'George Fabian Weasley, do you know what you've done? They're going to be up all night!'

'Heh, well,' George stammered. 'Sorry?'

'As you should be,' Angelina scoffed. 'Alright, Weasley. They're all yours for the night.'

'What?' George gaped.

Angelina grinned. 'You heard me. You can get them to bed and change Roxanne and feed her when she wakes up.'

'But - but I can't do that! I'll do something wrong!' George insisted.

But Angelina was already walking up the stairs. 'Good luck with that!' she called over her shoulder.

George muttered darkly to himself. Then he turned back to his children, who were still wreaking havoc. 'Alright, if you're both quiet now I won't make you eat your fruit tomorrow!'

Blissful quietude.

George sighed. 'Brilliant.'


	17. Babysitting

**Date: August 29, 2011**

**Chapter 17: Babysitting**

'...and while the Cannons tried their hardest, it seems improbable to keep hoping they will pull through to the World Cup...' Angelina muttered to herself as her fingers flew across the typewriter.

'Hey, Ange?' George came into the room just as Angelina finished the sentence. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. 'Do you want to go out tonight?'

Angelina stopped typing and turned to look at him. 'That would be nice. Just the two of us?'

'Yeah. I can call my mum and see if she can babysit,' George said, walking over to the fireplace.

'Alright, then,' Angelina said, rubbing her eyes.

George threw some powder into the grate and stuck his head in. 'The Burrow!' he yelled. His head spun around and then he found himself staring into the living room. 'Mum!' he yelled.

Molly walked into his view. 'George! Is something wrong?'

George smiled despite himself. 'Not this time. I was just wondering if you could babysit the kids tonight. Ange and I wanted to go for dinner.'

Molly bit her lip. 'Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, George, I already said I'd help Bill and Fleur.'

'That's alright,' George sighed. 'We'll find someone.' Molly smiled and George pulled his head out of the fireplace. 'Mum's babysitting Victoire, Dominique, and Louis.'

'Oh, that's too bad,' Angelina said. 'Are Ginny and Harry busy?'

'I think Harry is working nights now,' George replied. 'What about Ron and Hermione?'

Angelina shook her head. 'Hugo's got the flu. They're busy enough as it is. Maybe Percy and Audrey?'

George snorted. 'Are you kidding me? They're both at work. We'd have to ask their nanny.'

Angelina rolled her eyes. 'Then we've got no one to babysit. I guess we're staying at home tonight.' She turned back to her typewriter.

'Well...' George started, afraid she would be angry at him.

'What?' Angelina asked, her fingers poised on the keys.

'Well, there is your mother.' George watched her carefully to see her reaction, but her face was blank.

'Sure,' she said finally. 'I'll ask her.' She walked slowly over to the fireplace. 'Johnson house!' she yelled as the fire turned green. Once her head had stopped spinning, she called, 'Mum?'

Mrs Johnson jumped and turned around. 'Oh, Angelina!' she said, getting out of her chair and kneeling in front of the fire. 'How are you?'

'Fine,' Angelina said shortly. 'George and I fancied a dinner together. Would you mind babysitting?'

Her mother's chest swelled with joy. 'I would love to. I'll be over in fifteen minutes.'

'Thanks, Mum,' Angelina said in relief. 'I'll see you then.' She pulled her head out. 'She can come,' she said.

George surveyed her. 'Are you okay with this?'

'Of course I am,' Angelina said firmly. 'She's my mother. We're past all that now.' She stalked off to change.

* * *

'And make sure you feed Roxanne at seven, I'm trying to get her to eat at regular times,' Angelina rattled off. 'Have I forgotten anything?' she asked George.

'Yeah, emergency numbers are next to the telephone, and Fred won't sleep unless you tell him a story,' George said.

'Right,' Angelina said. 'You'll be careful, won't you?' she asked anxiously.

Angelina's mother huffed. 'Of course I will. They're my grandchildren.'

'Okay, then,' George said. He bent to kiss Fred and then kissed Roxanne, who was in Mrs Johnson's arms. 'Be good, both of you!' he said as Angelina stepped into the fireplace.

'Yes, Daddy!' Fred said happily as George disappeared. 'Who are you?' he asked Mrs Johnson, tugging at her skirt.

'I'm your Grandmum,' Mrs Johnson said.

Fred shook his head. 'No, you're not,' he laughed. 'My Grandmum has red hair, and she's shorter than you.'

Mrs Johnson smiled. 'No, Fred. You can have more than one Grandmum. The Grandmum you're thinking of is your father's mother. I am your mother's mother.'

Fred scrutinised her for a minute, then said, 'Okay. When's dinner?'

She smiled. 'In about half an hour. Is that okay?'

'Yes,' Fred said, and he went off to do who knows what.

* * *

'Tell me, Fred,' Angelina's mother said as she fed Roxanne. Fred was clumsily feeding himself soup. 'Do you know how to read?'

Fred shook his head, accidentally spitting out a bit of soup. 'I know the aphlabet, though. Do you want to hear it?'

'Alphabet, dear,' Mrs Johnson corrected kindly. 'And I would love to hear you recite it.'

Fred immediately rattled off all twenty-six letters, and Mrs Johnson clapped at the end. 'Very good! Your parents must be very proud of you.' Fred's chest swelled with pride, and Mrs Johnson turned to Roxanne. 'Roxanne, why don't you clap for Freddie?'

Roxanne lifted her hands and clumsily slapped them against each other. 'Very nice!' Mrs Johnson praised. 'You two are so smart.'

Fred grinned and spooned some more soup into his mouth.

* * *

'Alright, time for bed,' Mrs Johnson said at around nine o'clock.

Fred looked up from his toys. 'Mummy usually lets me stay up until ten,' he said quickly. Mrs Johnson smiled, for living with Angelina had taught her to distinguish the truth from lies.

'I'm sure she does,' she said, going along with the lie. 'But let's make Mummy and Daddy happy. When they see you asleep, they'll be very proud of you for going to bed early.'

Fred mulled over this for a minute, then said, 'Okay.'

Mrs Johnson picked up Roxanne and led Fred to his room. 'Let me just put Roxanne down and then I'll come and tell you a story, alright?' she said. Fred nodded and climbed into bed. Once Roxanne was situated, Angelina's mother walked back to Fred's room, where he was getting comfortable. 'What kind of story do your parents usually tell you?'

'I like the ones about Larry Dotter,' Fred replied immediately, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

_Larry Dotter? _Angelina's mother thought hard for a moment. _Harry Potter,_ she realised. 'How about a new story tonight?' she asked, not knowing any stories about Harry other than the Boy Who Lived legend.

Fred glared. 'No.'

'Trust me, you'll like this one,' Mrs Johnson assured him. 'Once there was a little boy named...oh, his name was Edward Roberts. And this little boy, he was magnificent at everything. He was a brilliant student, and did well in all of his schoolwork.'

'Even maths?' Fred asked, yawning.

'Oh, especially maths,' Mrs Johnson said, pretending to be appalled at the suggestion. 'Maths was his favourite subject! In any case,' she pressed on, 'one day, this little boy got a letter from Hogwarts. He was going to go to school there! And he was terribly worried that no one would like him, or that he would get sorted into Slytherin. But once he got there, he realised it was the most magical place, and I don't say that as a pun. No one cared where he came from, and no one would have cared had he been in Slytherin. So Edward sat on the stool, and the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. It whispered into his ear, "You've got a ready mind, but you also have a lot of bravery and loyalty. You're cunning, but not extremely so. You could go in any of these houses!" Edward thought, "But where shall I go?" And the Hat replied, "I think you would do best in GRYFFINDOR!" And Edward was so happy...' Mrs Johnson trailed off as she realised Fred was asleep. She tucked him in and closed the door. It was only nine-thirty.

She walked over to the bookshelf and slid _Pride and Prejudice, _one of her favourites, from its place. Then she sat down and read for an hour, until George and Angelina came home.

'Where are the kids?' Angelina asked, surprised to find her mother reading a book on the couch.

'Asleep,' Mrs Johnson replied absentmindedly.

George blinked. 'They're actually _asleep? _As in, not doing something in their beds?'

'Yes,' Angelina's mother said. 'You sound surprised.'

George immediately rearranged his features. 'No, not at all. They're good kids.'

Angelina snorted. 'Right. Because that's how _you_ raised them.' She walked over to her mother and gave her a hug. 'Thank you, Mum,' she said, but her eyes said so much more.

'It's alright,' her mother said warmly. 'Call me if you ever need me to babysit again.'

'Definitely,' George said. 'Good night.' He saw her off, then turned to Angelina. 'I've got to say, your mother is brilliant.'

Angelina grinned. 'I know.' And they headed upstairs together.


	18. Happiness

**A/N: Last chapter! Thank you all for sticking with me, but I'm going to save the long author's note for the end. This is for all of you who have stayed with me since the beginning, so enjoy!**

**Date: October 9, 2011**

**Chapter 18: Happiness**

'Alright, kids!' Angelina said enthusiastically, looking at her very bored children. 'What do you want to do today?'

'I wanna colour,' Fred answered.

'Well, fine,' Angelina replied grandly. 'I'll get you both pencils and paper.' She turned to Roxanne. 'Fred's going to teach you how to colour today, Roxy. Won't that be nice?'

Roxanne laughed and clapped her hands, babbling something unintelligible. Angelina went and got materials for Fred and Roxanne, and sat them on the floor. 'Now, Fred,' she started, 'you can teach Roxy how to colour, can't you?'

'Yes,' Fred said proudly. 'I can do it!'

'Good boy,' Angelina said, ruffling his hair. 'I'm going to be in the other room, but come and get me if you need anything, alright? Oh, and can you make sure Roxanne doesn't eat the pencils?' she called over her shoulder. Fred nodded, and Angelina sat down at her desk and started to type.

At first, Angelina could hear Fred chattering to Roxanne about how to properly hold a pencil. Then everything was suddenly quiet.

'Fred?' she called into the room. 'What's going on in there?' She walked into the room.

Roxanne and Fred were busily colouring on the walls, the paper forgotten. 'Fred!' she cried. 'You know better than to colour on the walls!'

'Sorry, Mummy,' he said sheepishly.

Then Angelina rounded on Roxanne. 'Roxy, we do not colour on the walls! Is this clear?'

Roxanne's bottom lip trembled and then she burst into tears. 'No, no, I'm sorry!' Angelina said hurriedly. She scooped up the baby. 'Please stop,' she pleaded, but Roxanne kept on crying.

'What's going on?' George yelled loudly as he shut the door behind him. 'Oh, Roxy...' he said.

'Please take her,' Angelina begged. George gently took his daughter, and eventually her wails died down to sniffles. 'Oh,' Angelina moaned. Then she went over to a very scared-looking Fred. 'Freddie, I'm so sorry I yelled at you. I won't do it again, so long as you don't colour on the walls. Fair?'

'Okay,' Fred said, giving his mother a very wet kiss. He toddled off, grabbing some pencils and paper as he left.

Angelina sighed, flopped onto the couch, and put her head in her hands. 'What happened?' George asked, slightly bewildered.

'They were colouring on the walls,' Angelina replied, her voice slightly muffled.

'Oh, is that it? I'd have thought they set something on fire,' George joked.

Angelina glared at him. 'We can't just keep letting them do whatever they want!' she said. 'They can't keep thinking magic is an easy fix to everything. I could clean the wall with a flick of my wand right now, but that wouldn't teach them anything!'

'Ange, they're just kids,' George reminded her gently. 'Let them have their fun.'

'It's not all fun and games, George,' Angelina said in frustration. 'They have to learn to be responsible!'

'Yeah, maybe, but Fred's only three and Roxanne isn't even a year old yet!' George countered. 'They'll forget this by the time they're old enough to know better! You don't have to be a spoilsport all the time!' Angelina looked at him with a hurt expression, and he immediately backtracked. 'I'm sorry, Ange,' he said quickly.

She looked away coldly. 'Dinner's on the table. Help yourself.' Then she slowly went upstairs and fell into bed.

* * *

'Ange?'

Angelina groaned as George woke her up. 'What?'

'Can you move over a bit? You're kind of in the middle of the bed,' George said timidly. Angelina huffed and moved closer to the left so George could slide into bed. 'I'm sorry I called you a spoilsport,' George said, turning off the lamp.

She sighed. 'It's alright. I am a spoilsport, aren't I? I never let them do anything fun.'

'It's not like that,' George said soothingly. 'Someone has to keep them in line. Imagine if all we ever did was let them have fun. They'd be running up and down the walls! I realise that too much fun can be a bad thing,' he went on, 'but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have any at all.'

'You're right,' Angelina murmured. 'I'm sorry too.'

'It's okay,' George said. 'Good night.'

'Good night.' Angelina sighed, closing her eyes.

* * *

'Your turn,' George mumbled sleepily as Roxanne's screams filled the house.

Angelina groaned. 'I gave birth to her. Don't I get a break?'

'You had your break last night,' George replied. 'Now I get a break.'

Angelina grumbled something under her breath and threw the covers off. 'Shh, Roxy,' she said, picking up the wailing baby. She immediately quieted down. 'You're just like your father,' Angelina said. 'He won't stop whining until he gets attention either.'

Roxanne stared at her with wide eyes. Angelina sat down on the rocking chair. 'You're so sweet,' she said. 'Even if you are an attention hog.'

The baby batted her eyelashes innocently. 'I'm sorry I yelled at you today,' Angelina said softly. 'I didn't mean it. I'm just a little tired.'

She sighed. 'You and Fred are quite a handful, you know,' she said. 'Sometimes I don't know if I can manage it all. I feel like I don't do anything. I don't work, and I only get you up half the time. And I'm trying, Roxy, I really am. But I'm just so exhausted.

'Sometimes I think, what if Abigail had survived?' She blinked back tears. 'I try not to say anything about it, but it happened. And I miss her so much, but sometimes I think, "Maybe it was for the best." And then I feel even worse.

'I wish I didn't feel like I have to be the responsible one,' Angelina whispered. 'I think George sometimes acts like a kid. He's more like a brother to you than a father. I'm always the one who has to stop all the fun so no one gets hurt. Because if I lost another child...I don't know what I'd do. You don't think I'm a spoilsport, do you?' Roxanne blinked at her. 'That's what I thought,' Angelina went on. 'I'm just trying to do what's best for you. You understand that, don't you?'

Roxanne smiled. Then she yawned and closed her eyes, and Angelina placed her gently in her cot.

The sight of Roxanne sleeping was beautiful. She was so much like George and Angelina, with all of their good qualities and few of the bad. She was quiet, beautiful, sweet, and intelligent. Angelina stood there for a long time, just watching her.

And quite frankly, there was nothing in this world that could make her happier.

* * *

**A/N: Hooray, we're done! I'd just like to thank every single one of you who reviewed or added to favourites/alerts list. THANK YOU SO MUCH! It's people like you lot that make me so happy to write.**

* * *

**Thanks to the following for reviews:**

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**Again, thank you so, so, so much! You're all amazing! Happy reading!**

**~PuffPower**


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